Cord holder



S. E. FELTS CORD HOLDER March 27, 1951 Filed Jan. '7, 1949 26 [IBM-4m 25 24 20 /A/l/N7'OR SAMUEL E FELTS ATTORNEVS Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES ?ATENT ()FFICE This invention relates to cord holders and more specifically contemplates means for flexibly suspending electrical iron cords so as to obviate interference of the cord with the work and permit more facile manipulation of the iron in accordance with its intended use.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a flexible upright standard adapted to be mounted upon one edge of an ironing board for the support of means to engage an intermediate portion of the cord leading from an electrical outlet to the iron, so as to hold the cord out of contact with the work upon the board without restricting with the normal operation and utility of the iron.

More specifically an object of the invention is the provision, in a device of a character referred to, of a resilient cord support adapted to normally maintain a substantially constant tension upon the cord during movement of the iron from one end of the board to the other, the cord. being releasably connected to the support bymeans adapted to compensate for variable angular re lationship between the cord and its support throughout the range of operation of the iron so as to obviate any tendency of the cord gripping element to sever or otherwise damage the cord as a result of repeated flexing of the support.

Another object hereof is to provide a pivotal mounting between the cord standard and the ironing board whereby the standard may be moved from a normally vertical position, as when in use, into a folded parallel relationship with the board for storage with the latter, in combination with a novel spring-pressed locking device ior preventing inadvertent angular displace-- ment of the standard from a normal right angular relationship with the board while in use, the look being disengaged with facility incident to manual depression of a locking lever.

Still another object is to provide a spring clamp by which the flexible cord supporting standard may be easily and quickly engaged with an edge of the ironing board when its use is required while permitting facile removal of the entire assembly or the shifting of the standard variously as occasion requires.

Numerous other objects and salient features of invention such, for example, as simplicity of installation and removal, flexibility in its application for use, wide utility, ease of operation and attractive appearance will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon an examination of the following description read in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which:

2 Claims. (Cl. 248--51) Fig. 1 is a fragmentary edge view of an ironing board with a cord holder embodying my invention, shown in elevation, in operative relationship therewith, dotted lines indicating the manner in which the holder may be flexed in response to manipulation of the iron;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the lower end of the standard assembly illustrating particularly the locking mechanism for holding the standard in, selectively, vertical or horizontal position;

Fig. 3 is a reduced side elevation of a device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, illustrating its preferred relationship with an ironing board and iron, the dotted lines indicating a position to which the cord holder is movable in response to shifting of the iron in use;

Fig. 4 is a side elvation of the device of my invention, the intermediate section of the standard being broken away;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the standard showing the spring clip, for engaging the ironing board, and the locking device in plan;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 depicting a modified form of base adapted for permanent attachment to the board.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the numerals of which indicate similar parts throughout the several views, l0 designates generally an ironing board of conventional construction upon one end of which my invention may be mounted. For this purpose the cord holder includes a spring clip H the upper element l2 of which is flat for attachment by rivets l3 of a fiat base section I4 for a standard [5 about to be described. The outer end of the base !4 is flanged at right angles as indicated at 16 so as to project upwardly when the clip I i is engaged with the edge of the board It as depicted in Fig. 3. One side ll of an angle I8 is pivotally connected to the flange it of the base by a rivet I9 whereby the complementary side 2 of the angle it is movable from an operative horizontal position overhanging the top of the flange 56 to a vertical position laterally of the flange. The pivoted side ll of the angle it comprises a locking element, its edge 2! opposite to that from which the side 26 projects, being arcuate. The centerof the arc of the normally lower edge 29 of the angle I8 is preferably coincident with the axis 0;? the pivot Iii whereby the spaced relationship of the lowermost section of the arcuate edge 2! remains constant throughout the range of pivotal movement of the angle. At a point diametrically opposite to the side 20 of the angle a 8, the arcuate edge 2| of the pivoted locking element i1 is notched as at 22 and at each of two points on said arcuate edge diametrically aligned and spaced 90 from notch 22 a second notch 23 is located. These notches 22 and 23 are selectively engaged by a spring latch 26 comprising a wire having one end secured firmly to the spring clip H and base M by one of the rivets i3 so as to support the wire across the other rivet IS and maintain the opposite end of the wire 2 against the lowermost section of the notched edge 2! of the side H of angle NS.

The standard l5 comprises a closely wound helical spring 25, one end of which is mounted upon the side 26 of the angle l8 so as to permit its being swung with the angle from a normally vertical operative position to a horizontal position parallel to the board It with which the spring clip ii is engaged. Fitted into the opposite restricted end of the spring is a rod 26 carrying a cord receiving clip 2'! at its upper end. For this purpose the outer or upper end of the rod 26 .is flattened in a plane forming a right angle with the clip ii, and the cord clip is pivotally attached to the flattened end of the rod 26 by a rivet 28 or the like whereby the clip is free to swing in a direction substantially parallel to the edge of the ironing board it to which the clip I! is attached.

The use and operation of the device is further briefly described as follows: The spring clip H is first installed upon the board by slipping it over the edge of the board preferably at the opposite side of the latter from which the user is to be located while working with the iron. The standard 55 is then swung to a vertical position i. e., at right angles with the board whereupon the spring latch 2t snaps into the notch 22 so as to maintain this adjusted position of the standard. The electrical cord indicated at 29 for the iron 35 with its ends'connected with the electrical outlet and iron, respectively, is engaged in the pivoted spring clip 21 at the upper end of the rod 26, the clip being adapted to resiliently clamp the cord so as to obviate inadvertent displacement of the latter while permitting facile removal of the cord at the conclusion of the immediate utility of the iron. As will be obvious, the particular section of the cord 29 to be engaged in the clip 2? will be that portion which enables the movement of the iron freely throughout the length of the board with a minimum flexing of the standard l5, while at the same time maintaining the entire cord out of contact with the work upon the board. During the use of the iron the helical spring 25 of the standard will at all times compensate for the tension and relaxation of the cord incident to movement of the iron. However, as the intermediate reach of the cord is held in an elevated position by the rod 23 and clip 2-? this engaged portion of the cord will nor mally tend to assume an arc having its center directly below the clip 21. The free pivoting of the latter clip thus assures the compensatory adjustment of clip '2'! so as to obviate the cutting of the cord by the edges thereof as would other wise be the case where the clip is secured in rigid relationship with the rod 26 of standard l5.

As indicated in Fig. 2 the spring wire latch 24 is engaged in the notch 22 that is disposed at the diametrically opposite side or" the rivet is from the standard when the cord holder is in operation. When the board is to be stored the wire 2:: is depressed sufficiently to dislodge it from the notch 22 and the standard is then pivoted on the rivet l9 into parallel relationship to the board l0 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereupon the spring wire 24 will engage one or the other of the notches 23, spaced from notch 22, so as to retain the standard in folded relationship with the board. By providing two diametrically opposed notches 23 the standard may be pivoted from its vertical operative position in either direction into parallel relation with the board and thereafter be held by the spring latch in such position. Thus, the device provides for the folding of the standard onto the board with the clip attached to either end of the board, and thereby adapts the unit to either right or lefthanded users.

In view of the pivotal relationship of the standard and base it will be appreciated that the spring clip I I may remain connected to the board at all times. In accordance with a modified form of my invention shown in Fig. 6 the spring clip I I is omitted and a base element 3| is substituted for the base M. The modified form of base ii is formed with a pair of holes for the extension of the screws 32 or the like by which the assembly may be secured to the board. In other respects the base element 3! corresponds in structure and function with the base Hi of the embodiment first above described.

It will be understood thtat the single embodiment shown and the modification thereof, illus- .trated in Fig. 6 are subject to many changes in size, design, shape, number and proportion of the various parts, and that the standard [5 may be substituted b any flexible elei'oent and may be made extensible and .contractible in a conventional manner if desired, and that the notch 23 may be omitted, friction between the angle l8 .and flange it of the base M bein relied upon to maintain the standard in parallel relationship with the board when the device is not in use, all without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an ironing cord holder adapted for engagement to an ironing board, a base comprising a flat body portion and a flange at one end of the latter forming a right angle with the body portion, means to attach said base to an ironing board with said flange projecting upwardly, an

angle pivoted to said flange, a standard mounted upon said angle for pivotal movement with the latter from a position parallel to the board to a position forming substantially a right angle with v the board, means carried by the outer end of said standard to engage the ironing cord, said angle being formed with a pair of notches in one edge thereof, and a spring, wire connected to said base for selective engagement with said notches when said standard is in its extreme positions, respectively.

2. In an ironing cord holder adapted for engagement to an ironing board, a base comprising a flat body portion and a flange at one end of the latter forming a right angle with the body portion, means to attach said base to an ironing board with said flange projecting upwardly, an angle pivoted to said flange, a standard mounted upon said angle for pivotal movement from a position parallel to and overlying one end of the ironing board, through a vertical position, to a position substantially parallel to and overlying the opposite end of the board, means carried by the outer end of said standard to engage the ironing cord, said angle being formed with three 5 notches in one edge thereof, and a spring wire connected to said base to selectively engage said notches and thereby latch said standard in, selectively, its vertical position or in positions overlying either end of the ironing board.

SAMUEL E. FELTS.

CES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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